Solace
by Bitway
Summary: A werewolf finds comfort in a certain human's words. {gladion/ilima, werewolf au, fictober 2019 day 1}


**a/n:** I spontaneously decided to join in on fictober! I am following a mixture of prompts but most might come from /fictober-event on tumblr! Dialogue prompts help me out haha…anyway this is the start and they won't be order (this prompt starts with their #4 lmao) and they're going to be a mix of fandoms. Hoping I can keep this up even if I don't finish it in October.

* * *

Hands gently run through golden fur. The action is repeated as he's careful to not scratch the skin beneath. He is keen only on petting his head, right behind his pointed left ear. It's what calmed the beast down.

Blue eyes glance towards the window of his room to take in the sight of the moon outside. It was beautiful, full. Shining it's light into the room on this cloudless night.

When he hears a low growl, it's then he realizes that his hand had gone to the beast's neck. He was close to touching a scar.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Ilima is quick to pull his hand away and returns it to the beast's head.

The beast had once been human. He was, on most days. But, on the nights of a full moon, he was forced into a transformation. Shedding his human skin to dawn one with fur, a muzzle, fangs, paws, even a tail.

Gladion was a werewolf.

One that could easily tower over most kids when standing on all fours. With a body that could hide old wounds underneath fur and claws sharp enough to cut human flesh.

It was a form he hid, or tried to. It got easier over the years. He always knew when it was time to run and hide, a cowardly act that needed to be done to protect himself. But, there were still times he'd been caught, mostly as a wolf, once during a transformation.

A soft sigh escapes from the human, eyes now focused on the wolf. His furry head resting upon his lap as he was calmed by his touch. The transformation agitated him and this was the best way to get him in a better mood. Ilima just has to wait to hear that whine to know that Gladion is feeling better.

The werewolf lifts his head slightly, just enough to have his sharp, green eyes meet with blue. While he cannot speak, Ilima knows he's giving him a '_thanks_'. And he offers him a smile in response.

Now, he takes his head off of his lap, moving around in the other's room and careful not to hit anything while he stretched. Ample room was made beforehand, allowing the werwolf to shake and stretch his body with ease. A yawn is let out before he walks around in the small space within the room. He comes to a stop when he catches the moon peering down at him.

The werewolf glares at it. He mentally curses the moon for what it had done to him. A growl is already forming in his throat. Barking at it won't do anything, but sometimes he felt better afterwards.

Before he can let out a single bark, a hand is placed upon his head to stop him.

"It's not the moon's fault. I know you didn't ask to be like this," Ilima says quietly.

He didn't. He never wished to be like this.

_A monster._

He wanted a normal life. But, his mother had different plans for him. Grueling tests and experiments. A life changing injection that made him become a 'mutt' in her eyes.

His tail drops down, eyes now focusing on the floor. Being reminded of what he was and how he came to be was always painful. It made him want to lash out, to destroy everything in his path, no matter what or who it may be.

If Ilima weren't around…he probably would resort to that.

"It may be a curse, as you say, but we should make the most of it?"

Gladion quickly turns his head, eyes narrowing at the human. He growls as if he's asking '_how?'_

"Hm." Ilima hums in thought, letting his hand run through the wolf's fur again. "Well, you're stronger now. You have better senses, you really can do a lot of things most people can't. Be free, in a sense, while others can't. And," he pauses to look directly at him, "I can trust you to protect me."

Hearing his confident voice and seeing that reassuring smile manages to put him at ease. Maybe there were perks to being like this, though he hardly saw them as so. Of course, Ilima would find a way to turn the bad into good. To make it sound as if this wasn't a terribly bad curse.

The wolf huffs. The human won this round.

Gladion sniffs at his hand before giving it a lick. He's quick to brush past him and waits at the door so he avoids seeing that radiating smile. He's glad that Ilima was never the type to rub these things in.

The human does chuckle to his actions. It was cute, in a way. Gladion was still Gladion, even as a wolf.

"Alright. Let's go and enjoy the night, shall we, Gladion?"


End file.
